“When you’re on your own for so long, you start to realise who matters to you most.”
The penultimate episode of Death in Paradise season 13 left viewers with a huge question heading into the finale: will the BBC drama finally deliver a Neville Parker-Florence Cassell romance, something fans have long wanted?
While it was unclear if the Honoré Police detective inspector jumped on a plane and left Saint Marie to go travelling or remained on the island, we’d bet our bottom dollar on Neville choosing staying put – at least so that he can reunite with Florence properly after her two-year absence.
But what will follow that?
During a conversation with Darlene Curtis, Florence admitted that she’d had a lot of time to think while in witness protection and her feelings for Neville had shifted as a result.
“I missed him more than I thought I would, a lot more actually,” she said. “When you’re on your own for so long, you start to realise who matters to you most, because what you miss is how they make you feel.”
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“Do you think you’ll tell him?” asked Darlene.
“I don’t know, maybe,” the detective responded.
If Florence does tell Neville how she feels, he will undoubtedly respond in kind.
“We always were a great team,” he said when they collectively cracked this week’s murder investigation, but he’s always hoped their partnership would one day extend beyond the professional.
If that does happen, will they stay in Saint Marie, where it all began, or will they jet off into the sunset together?
After remaining cooped up for such a long stretch of time, a spot of travelling could be just what the doctor ordered for Florence, and it’d be a good opportunity for the pair to spend some quality time together away from the demands of their jobs and everyday life.
But that could also mean Death in Paradise is about to say goodbye to Ralf Little, who is now the longest-serving detective on the series.
We know the show is returning for season 14, but will Little be back?
Neville and Florence could take some time away from Saint Marie to build on their connection before returning for the next instalment, with the latter rejoining as a series regular.
But there’s also the possibility that the season 13 finale will be their farewell episode. If so, we can’t think of a more perfect reason for Neville to bow out.
Death in Paradise airs on Sundays on BBC One at 9pm. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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